forHealth Awards - The Norman Lear Center

Transcription

The 2007
Sentinel
Health Awards
for
Awards Ceremony and Panel Discussion
Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
North Hollywood, California
September 19, 2007
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The Norman Lear Center 2007 Sentinel for Health Awards
The Sentinel for Health Awards
The Norman Lear Center
The Sentinel for Health Awards recognize exemplary
achievements of television storylines that inform, educate
and motivate viewers to make choices for healthier and
safer lives. For many loyal viewers, television dramas and
comedies provide both entertainment and information
about disease, injury and disability. A compelling storyline
that demonstrates risky behavior and consequences, or
shows how to avoid risk, can benefit millions of viewers
and their loved ones.
The Norman Lear Center is a multidisciplinary
research and public policy center exploring implications of the convergence of entertainment, commerce,
and society. From its base in the USC Annenberg
School for Communication, the Lear Center builds
bridges between eleven schools whose faculty study
aspects of entertainment, media, and culture. Beyond
campus, it bridges the gap between the entertainment
industry and academia, and between them and the
public. For more information, please visit
www.learcenter.org.
Each entry is screened by Hollywood, Health & Society
staff for eligibility. Qualifying entries are evaluated in two
rounds of judging. In the first round of judging, each
storyline is reviewed for accuracy by a panel of topic
experts who take the following into consideration:
* How the health problem can be prevented
* How a character’s choices affect his/her health or safety
* What causes the health problem and how it impacts the
lives and relationships of characters
* Common myths about the health issue
* Which characters are at greatest risk for the health
problem
* Professional standards and practices observed by health
care providers
Finalists from the first round of judging are reviewed by a
panel of invited experts from public health, academic,
advocacy and entertainment organizations. The entries
are evaluated on the following criteria:
* Potential benefit to the viewing audience
* Entertainment value
Hollywood, Health & Society
Hollywood, Health & Society (HH&S) is a project at
the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center that provides
entertainment industry professionals with accurate and
timely information for health storylines. Funded by the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the
National Institute of Health’s (NIH) National Cancer
Institute (NCI), the Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality (AHRQ), and the Health Resources Services
Administration Division of Transplantation (HRSA), the
project recognizes the profound impact that entertainment media have on individual knowledge and behavior.
For more information, please visit www.usc.edu/hhs.
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Speakers
Martin Kaplan, Norman Lear Chair in
Entertainment, Media and Society,
USC Annenberg School for Communication
Director, Norman Lear Center
Ernest J. Wilson III, Dean
USC Annenberg School for Communication
Albert Bandura, David Starr Jordan Professor
Social Sciences in Psychology
Stanford University
Vicki Beck, Director
Hollywood, Health & Society
Norman Lear Center
Panel Discussion Participants
Zoanne Clack, Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)
Writer and Co-Producer
Pamela Davis, House (FOX)
Writer
Dawn DeNoon, Law & Order: SVU (NBC)
Writer and Co-Executive Producer
William Fordes, Law & Order (NBC)
Writer
Nancy Lee Grahn, General Hospital (ABC)
Talent – “Alexis Davis”
David Marshall Grant, Brothers and Sisters (ABC)
Producer
Bill Haynes, CSI: NY (CBS)
Technical Advisor
Julie Hébert, Numb3rs (CBS)
Writer and Co-Executive Producer
Kimberly McCollough, General Hospital (ABC)
Talent – “Dr. Robin Scorpio”
Molly Newman, Brothers and Sisters (ABC)
Co-Executive Producer
Veronica Pimstein, Así es la Vida (TeleFutura)
Executive Producer
Lisa Zwerling, ER (NBC)
Writer and Supervising Producer
2007 Sentinel for Health Awards Winners
Daytime Drama
1st Place: “Patrick’s HIV Scare,” General Hospital (ABC)
Topic: HIV
2nd Place: “Alexis’ Lung Cancer,” General Hospital (ABC)
Topic: Lung cancer
3rd Place: “Taylor’s Alcohol Addiction,” The Bold and The Beautiful (CBS)
Topic: Alcohol addiction
Spanish-Language Telenovela
1st Place: “Con Dominio Total,” Así es la Vida (TeleFutura)
Topic: Safe sex
Primetime Comedy
1st Place: “My Friend With Money,” Scrubs (NBC)
Topic: Postpartum depression
2nd Place: “HMO/Insurance Storyline,” Ugly Betty (ABC)
Topic: Health insurance
Primetime Minor Storyline
1st Place: “Oh, the Guilt,” Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)
Topic: Breast cancer
2nd Place: “Paired Organ Exchange,” ER (NBC)
Topic: Organ donation and transplantation
3rd Place: “My Favorite Mistake,” Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)
Topic: Diabetes
Primetime Drama
1st Place: “I Think We Should Have Sex,” Friday Night Lights (NBC)
Topic: Teenage sex
2nd Place: “Over Here,” Law & Order (NBC)
Topic: Veterans’ mental health
3rd Place: “Stella HIV Story,” CSI: NY (CBS)
Topic: HIV
Finalist: “Waste Not,” Numb3rs (CBS)
Topic: Environmental health
Finalist: “Resignation,” House (FOX)
Topic: Depression
Finalist: “Northern Exposure,” Brothers and Sisters (ABC)
Topic: Infertility
Finalist: “Uncle,” Law & Order: SVU (NBC)
Topic: Depression
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Speaker Biographies
Martin Kaplan
Ernest J. Wilson, III
Martin Kaplan,
director of the
Norman Lear
Center, also holds
the Norman
Lear Chair in
Entertainment,
Media, and Society
at the USC
Annenberg School
for Communication. He graduated from
Harvard College, received a First in English
from Cambridge University in England, and
received a Ph.D. in modern thought and
literature from Stanford University. He was
chief speechwriter to Vice President Walter
F. Mondale and is a regular commentator
on NPR’s All Things Considered and on CBS
Morning News. He was recruited by Jeffrey
Katzenberg and Michael Eisner, and
worked for them at Disney for 12 years.
Kaplan wrote and executive produced The
Distinguished Gentleman and adapted Noises
Off for the screen. His articles have appeared
in publications including The New York Times,
The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times,
Time, U.S. News & World Report, The American
Scholar, The Woodrow Wilson Quarterly and The
New Republic. At USC he has taught graduate
and undergraduate courses.
Ernest J. Wilson III,
Ph.D., became
Dean of the USC
Annenberg School for
Communication on
July 1, 2007. Prior to
his appointment,
Dr. Wilson was a
professor and senior
research scholar at the
University of Maryland, College Park. Dr.
Wilson’s scholarship focuses on the
convergence of communication and information
technology, public policy, and the public
interest. His current work concentrates on
China-Africa relations, the politics of global
sustainable innovation in high-technology
industries, and the role of politics in the
diffusion of information and communication
technologies. Nominated by President Bill
Clinton and reappointed by President George
W. Bush, Dr. Wilson is the ranking senior
member of the board of directors of the
Corporation for Public Broadcasting. He
previously held positions with the National
Security Council, the U.S. Information Agency
and the Global Information Infrastructure
Commission. Originally from Washington,
D.C., Dr. Wilson earned a Ph.D. and M.A. in
political science from the University of
California, Berkeley, and a B.A. from Harvard
College.
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Albert Bandura
Vicki Beck
Albert Bandura,
PhD is the David
Starr Jordan
Professor of Social
Sciences in
Psychology at
Stanford University.
He served as
chairman of the
Department of
Psychology and was honored by Stanford by
being awarded an endowed chair. Bandura
has authored countless articles and nine
books on a wide range of issues in psychology. His most recent book, Self-Efficacy: The
Exercise of Control, presents efficacy belief
as the foundation of human motivation,
performance attainments, and emotional
well-being. He has been elected to the
American Academy of Arts and Sciences,
and to the Institute of Medicine of the
National Academy of Sciences. He is the
recipient of seventeen honorary degrees.
Vicki Beck, M.S., is
director emerita of
Hollywood, Health &
Society at the USC
Annenberg’s Norman
Lear Center. Prior to
her work at HH&S,
Beck established
and was director of
an entertainment
education program at the CDC where she
provided education and outreach to the
entertainment industry. A health communication specialist for 20 years, Beck was assistant
director of communications at UCLA’s Center
for Health Sciences. Beck received her Master
of Science degree in mass communication from
San Diego State University and Bachelor of
Arts degree in education from the University
of Louisville. She was recognized by the
International Television Association for a series
of public affairs programs she produced and
hosted. Beck is the author of a chapter and
co-author of articles on entertainmenteducation topics, and presents program and
research results at meetings of the American
Public Health Association, the American
Medical Association, and the International
Entertainment Education Conference for
Social Change.
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The Norman Lear Center 2007 Sentinel For Health Awards
2007 Sentinel for Health Awards Ceremony
Marty Kaplan: Thank you. We have the privilege of, on behalf of the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention and a number of other federal agencies,
running a program called Hollywood Health & Society. One of the highlights
of our year is to sponsor the Sentinel for Health Awards, so we’re thrilled
you’re here. Looking around, you do look marvelous and please don’t let me
stop you from continuing with your meals. There’s probably a bit of leftovers
or seconds, if you’d like to get them.
There are two people who could not be here tonight, but I hope you’ll understand why. We have a Board of Directors, and it’s co-chaired by Patrick Verone, the president of the Writers’ Guild of America, west, and by Neal Baer,
who is the executive producer of Law & Order SVU. And the reason they’re
not here is that they are in the midst of contract negotiations. Any number of
you have a direct relationship to one side or the other in those negotiations,
so I’m sure that whatever side you would like me to say that God is on, consider it done, and they issue their apologies for not being here this evening.
Donna – where’s Donna Kanter? Is she – oh, there she is. Donna is the treasurer of the Television Academy, and the reason that we’re not at the Writers’
Guild, our usual venue, is because it’s the site of caucuses and late night sessions, and so on, and Donna graciously asked the Academy if they would host
this evening, and we’re thrilled. So please thank Donna for arranging that.
[Applause.]
I’m going to continue a Lear Center tradition and, rather than wait until the
end of the evening, thank the staff who have worked tirelessly to make not
just an event like this possible, but all the hidden, behind the scenes and
months’ long activities to get us to this point: Kathy Le, Iva Schroeder, Scott
McGibbon, Leslie Wong, Zoë Phillips, Michelle Cantu. I’m sure I’m missing
a number of others. Please join me in thanking them for the work they did.
[Applause.]
In a moment, I’m going to introduce to you Vicki Beck from Hollywood
Health & Society, but I’m going to delay that just for a moment.
One of our program funders was able to come out from Washington. She is
the head of the Education Division of the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Division of Transplantation at the Department of Health and
Human Services. Those of you who have long acronyms know what a burden
she bears, so Mary Ganikos, thank you so much for being here tonight.
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The Norman Lear Center 2007 Sentinel For Health Awards
We have an awards ceremony tonight which is the culmination of a process of judging. More than 100 people were involved in the judging process, and they put a huge
amount of work into it. I’m going to say their names and then ask them at the same
moment to raise their hands, the judges who are here tonight, whom I believe are
Stephanie Schmitz, Stacy Lane, Tenaya Wallace, Sheila Murphy, Roseanne Welsh,
Annie Aft, Donna Kanter, Aliza Lipshitz, Carl Kravitz, and anyone else who I might
have forgotten. Thank you so much. Please raise your hands.
[Applause.]
The first thing we’re going to do before we present the Sentinel For Health Awards
is to present another award which has become a tradition here. It’s an award that the
Annenberg School gives in honor of the late Ev Rogers, who was an associate dean
of the School and very much involved in the founding of the field of entertainment
education around the world, which uses entertainment in order to make a difference
in people’s lives.
We have some of the judges from the Rogers Award who are here this evening.
Would you raise your hands? David Poindexter and Debra Lieberman. There they
are. And I’d love to recognize last year’s winner of the Rogers Award, who has come
up from Mexico to be here with us this evening, an amazing writer, producer and
director and playwright, Miguel Sabido.
[Applause.]
To present the award to our winner tonight, I’d like to introduce to you someone
who is a relative newcomer to town. The USC Annenberg School has an almost
brand-new dean, who comes to us from the University of Maryland. I’ve had the
privilege of knowing him since our college days together, which is about the late
disco era, something like that. And so in order to present the award I would like to
present to you the Dean of the USC Annenberg School, Ernie Wilson.
[Applause.]
7The Norman Lear Center 2007 Sentinel for Health Awards
Ernie Wilson: Marty and I were in college together, but he was nine years
ahead of me, so that’s the difference. It really is a great honor to be here this
evening and of course, to follow in the footsteps of my good friend and now
colleague, again, Marty Kaplan, who has really done so much to make these
activities a success. It’s had a tremendous impact on the industry, I know and
it’s really now spreading even globally.
Ev Rogers developed
the “diffusion of innovation” theory, which is
the study of how and
why and at what
rate diffusion spreads
through particular
communities from one
individual to another.
It’s had a huge impact
all around the world
and on the careers of
a number of scholars,
including myself.
WILSON
So it really is a thrill to be here this evening and present this award, named
after the late Everett M. Rogers. Professor Rogers held the Walter H. Annenberg Chair in Communication at Annenberg, and one of the reasons I came to
USC was to be awarded the same Chair. It really is a huge thrill and honor to
occupy the same Chair that Ev Rogers did when he was at the University of
Southern California.
As part of his commitment to entertainment, Ev Rogers developed the “diffusion of innovation” theory, which is the study of how and why and at what
rate diffusion spreads through particular communities from one individual to
another, and he really was the father of that kind of work. It’s had a huge impact all around the world and on the careers of a number of scholars, including myself.
This evening we’ve come for a very special reason, which is to present this
award to a distinguished colleague and scholar. He’s a Stanford psychology
professor whose pioneering work in the area of social learning and social
cognitive theory have really set the stage for contemporary entertainmenteducation. He’s a real pioneer.
Professor Bandura’s work began in the early 1960s when he conducted the
infamous experiment with a blowup Bobo doll, which was a large clownshaped punching bag – some of you may remember that from your youths.
In this study he discovered that children, when exposed to aggressive behavior toward the Bobo doll, in person or in film, will essentially reproduce the
same behavior. It was not just that they saw it in person and then beat-up the
doll; it was that seeing someone beat up the doll on television would produce
8The Norman Lear Center He discovered
that children,
when exposed to
aggressive behavior toward the Bobo
doll, in person or in
film, will essentially
reproduce the same
behavior.
2007 Sentinel for Health Awards
the same behavior in children.
Professor Bandura is also known around the world for his theory of self-efficacy, the
theory that says people’s belief that they have the ability to control their lives actually helps mold the events that shape their lives. They have to have a sense that they
have the ability to control their environment in some way.
Today in country after country, people who produce television, whose purpose is to
improve society as well as entertain, are the beneficiaries of the professor’s exemplary work.
Please join me in congratulating the 2007 winner of the Everett M. Rogers Award
for Achievement in Entertainment Education, Professor Albert Bandura. Professor
Bandura.
[Applause.]
Bandura is also
known around the
world for his theory
of self-efficacy, the
theory that says
people’s belief
that they have the
ability to control their
lives actually helps
mold the events that
shape their lives.
WILSON
Albert Bandura: When the late comedian Jack Benny received an award, he remarked, “I really don’t deserve it, but then I have arthritis and I don’t deserve that
either.” Benny’s remark reminds us that our career paths have many coauthors.
One morning I received a call from Miguel and Televisa, and he explained that he
had extracted a set of principles from our research on the power of social modeling
and that he was using these to raise the national literacy rate and introduce family
planning in Mexico, using long-running, serialized drama. When he came to Stanford
to show me his videotapes, I was awed by the remarkable creativity in turning theory
into practice.
Now, we had a good theory, and we had a creative translational model, but we didn’t
have the resources or the expertise to disseminate this widely. But David Poindexter
and Bill Ryerson recognized the power of this approach and they became remarkably
productive global diffusers.
Ev Rogers was another inspiring coauthor in both the conception and the implementation, as well as the stringent evaluation of the power of this approach to improve
the quality of people’s life.
I’m deeply honored to accept this award in the name of a scholar who left us with a
wonderfully rich legacy of scholarship. How lucky we were to have Ev as a friend and
a colleague, and how deeply we miss him. I thank you for this award.
[Applause.]
Marty Kaplan: I learned something today. If you look at the field of psychology in the 20th century and you measure the eminence of people in it by how
often their work is mentioned by someone else, how often they’re taught
in textbooks and so on, if you do that, the top four in the 20th Century are
Sigmund Freud, B.F. Skinner, Jean Piaget, and Albert Bandura, so –
[Applause.]
If you look at the field
of psychology in the
20th century and you
measure the eminence
of people in it by how
often their work is
mentioned by someone
else, the top four in
the 20th Century are
Sigmund Freud, B.F.
Skinner, Jean Piaget,
and Albert Bandura.
You have chosen not
just to make it up
or call somebody’s
brother-in-law’s drycleaner who once had
an ailment, but rather
to take the trouble to
get it right. We’re
honoring you for
wielding your power
responsibly.
KAPLAN
Marty Kaplan: So now let’s turn to the Sentinel For Health Awards. The
premise is quite simple: You here are storytellers, and as storytellers you have
incredible power, and you can choose to exercise that in any way you can
in order to stay employed, get the numbers, and at the same time if you are
dealing with issues involving health and medicine and life-and-death concerns, to realize that your audiences, even though they know they’re being
entertained, think that what you’re telling them is true.
It’s a strange paradox. People think, yeah, yeah, it’s only entertainment, it’s
just fun, but at the same time what they’re absorbing really does make a
difference, and you here tonight exercise that power responsibly. You have
chosen not just to make it up or call somebody’s brother-in-law’s drycleaner
who once had an ailment, but rather to take the trouble to get it right. And so
that’s what we’re doing tonight, we’re honoring you for wielding your power
responsibly.
After we present the awards, we’re going to have a brief – accent on brief –
panel discussion, in which we’ll get to listen to some of the award recipients
talk about what it’s like to want to be accurate, to try to be accurate, to have
to write the words that maybe are harder to say than the ones that take a
shortcut and aren’t accurate, or to say those words. It’s a kind of behind-thescenes look at those issues, and that will be at the conclusion of the awards
ceremony.
A total of 36 storylines were reviewed by topic experts before the final 16
were selected as finalists. And the five categories are daytime drama, telenovela, primetime comedy, primetime minor storyline, and primetime drama.
I’m going to trade-off tonight in presenting the clips from the nominees
10The Norman Lear Center These episodes highlight the emotional
turmoil of people at
increased risk of
infection, as well
as the preventive
measures that should
be taken following
exposure to HIV.
This storyline is
especially relevant as
75,000 deaths result
from excessive alcohol
use each year in this
country.
BECK
2007 Sentinel for Health Awards
and announcing the recipients with my colleague, who has been the anchor and the
stalwart of Hollywood Health & Society for the past six years. Please welcome my
colleague and friend, Vicki Beck.
[Applause.]
Vicki Beck: Thank you, Marty. It’s wonderful to see so many friendly faces here from
the shows that we work with, all of you writers. It’s been a privilege and a pleasure
working with you.
I bring you greetings from the CDC. Today I got a message from our CDC colleague,
Varian Brandon, who funds us, who said they wanted everyone in the room to know
that they’re 100% behind this project, and they are delighted to have the participation of so many shows. They send their greetings from the CDC in Atlanta, but
couldn’t be here tonight.
We’ll begin with daytime drama. There were three finalists. The first finalist is from
General Hospital, “Patrick’s HIV Scare.” Dr. Patrick Drake has it all – a promising
career in neurosurgery, looks, and popularity – but his world is turned upside down
after an accident during surgery on a young girl with end-stage AIDS. Dr. Drake’s
finger is pricked by a surgical instrument and he’s exposed to his patient’s blood.
Aided by Dr. Robin Scorpio, fellow doctor and love interest who is HIV-positive,
Patrick gradually deals with his fears and the anxiety of waiting for HIV test results,
while taking post-exposure prophylaxis. These episodes highlight the emotional turmoil of people at increased risk of infection, as well as the preventive measures that
should be taken following exposure to HIV. Let’s see the clips.
[Clip plays.]
The second finalist is The Bold and The Beautiful storyline, “Taylor’s Alcohol Addiction.” Dr. Taylor Hayes Forrester plummets into alcohol addiction and denial, until
one night while under the influence she accidentally kills her sister-in-law. The crisis
point of the accident, its impact on her friends and family, and her subsequent guilt
prompt Taylor to finally face her illness, join AA, and ultimately get sober. This storyline is especially relevant as 75,000 deaths result from excessive alcohol use each
year in this country. Let’s take a look.
[Clip plays.]
The third finalist is a General Hospital storyline, “Alexis’ Lung Cancer.”
Struggling to come to terms with a diagnosis of lung cancer and her own
mortality, successful attorney Alexis Davis keeps the news from loved
ones, afraid that she may soon leave behind her husband and three daughters. Eventually, Alexis opens up to her family and friends and begins the
long battle with lung cancer, which is the most common cause of cancer
related deaths in both men and women in the United States. As with the
350,000 American adults who face similar challenges with lung cancer each
year, Alexis undergoes surgery, battles pneumonia, and endures heavy
bouts of chemotherapy, resultant nausea and hair loss. Let’s watch.
[Clip plays.]
As with the 350,000
American adults who
face similar challenges
with lung cancer
each year, Alexis
undergoes surgery,
battles pneumonia,
and endures heavy
bouts of chemotherapy,
resultant nausea and
hair loss.
BECK
I’m pleased to present the third place award for daytime drama to The Bold
and The Beautiful for “Taylor’s Alcohol Addiction.” Here to receive the
award is Eva Demirjian, Director, Communications and Talent Relations
for the show. Please come up.
[Applause.]
Eva Demirjian: Thank you very much. On behalf of Bradley Bell and all
of the writers on The Bold and The Beautiful, we thank you very, very much.
For 20 years Bill and Lee Bell have done everything possible to bring
socially relevant storylines to our millions of viewers every day, and we are
very honored with this award, so thank you.
[Applause.]
Vicki Beck: I’m pleased to present the second place award for daytime
drama to General Hospital for “Alexis’ Lung Cancer.” Here to accept the
award is Nancy Lee Grahn, who plays the role of Alexis Davis on the
Show. Please come up.
[Applause.]
Nancy Lee Grahn: Boy, it’s so weird to watch those tapes, the lighting, good
God! I accept this on behalf of the head writer, Bob Guza, and Jill Phelps,
who came up with this storyline because I said I wasn’t working enough. I
also would like to accept this on behalf of my good friend, Bonnie Aderio,
who was my inspiration. She gave me so much information and advice,
because she’s a stage-four lung cancer survivor, and has started the Breath
Away From The Cure Foundation, for which I am now an advocate and a
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spokesperson.
But most of all, I think I would like to accept this on behalf of my father, who died
of lung disease, and my Uncle Ray, who died three months ago of lung cancer. So I
think they’re orchestrating these opportunities for me, from above, to continue their
crusade to find a cure for this. Thank you.
[Applause.]
My character was 17
years old when I was
diagnosed with HIV,
and they have continued to portray this
storyline accurately,
and it’s just really
an honor to be a part
of this story and to
learn about AIDS as
the world did.
MCCULLOUGH
Vicki Beck: And the first place award goes to General Hospital for “Patrick’s HIV
Scare.” Here to accept the award is Kimberly McCullough, who plays the role of
Robin Scorpio on the show. Will you please come up to accept?
[Applause.]
Kimberly McCullough: Well, thank you. And, yes, it was a little embarrassing to
watch myself. I never do. Can you hear me? Thank you so much, again, on behalf of
Bob Guza and Jill Phelps, and also Wendy Rich, who was the executive producer at
the time, who thought of this story back in 1995, so it’s been a really long time. My
character was 17 years old when I was diagnosed with HIV, and they have continued
to portray this storyline accurately, and it’s just really an honor to be a part of this
story and to learn about AIDS as the world did.
We’ve been able to watch my character grow up and become a doctor, and be a person living with HIV. And the really cool thing about being on a “soap” is that we can
tell this story five days a week, not just one, and in real-time. Patrick, for example,
had to wait six months to find out that he was HIV-negative. We did that in real-time,
so it’s a unique opportunity, and we thank you for this recognition.
[Applause.]
Vicki Beck: Next is the Telenovela category. We have one finalist. It is from the “Con
Dominio Total” storyline, from the Colombian telenovela Así es la Vida. Neron and
Zeimara are soon to be married, but their wedding may be called off because during
a bachelor party tryst with a local prostitute, Neron refused to use a condom. Guiltridden Neron becomes paranoid and certain that he has been infected with HIV.
This scenario is a critical reminder of the importance of condom use to help prevent
HIV infection and other STDs, a message which is realistically portrayed here within
its cultural context. Let’s watch the clips.
[Clip plays.]
At this time, it gives me great pleasure to recognize the storyline, “Con Dominio
Total” from Así es la Vida as the storyline that takes the first place award in the Telenovela category. Veronica Pimstein, executive producer for Así es la Vida will accept
the award.
[Applause.]
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Veronica Pimstein: Good evening. It is with great honor that I accept the
2007 Sentinel Health Award for Spanish-language telenovela, and on behalf
of Telefutura network, the writers, and the entire production team, I express
our deepest gratitude to the Hollywood Health & Society Project of the USC
Norman Lear Center for recognition of our effort to balance a difficult task of
educating the viewers while never losing the entertaining edge. All of us are
very proud to have been honored with this distinguished award. Thank you
very much.
[Applause.]
Vicki Beck: And now I’ll turn it back to you.
The people who watch
these shows are the people
with the least access to
healthcare, don’t have
health insurance, and
are at the highest risk for
so many of the kinds of
public health issues that
we care about. For many
of them these shows are
their number one source
of information.
KAPLAN
Marty Kaplan: One of the important things to remember about telenovelas
and daytime drama is that the people who watch these shows are the people
with the least access to healthcare, don’t have health insurance, and are at
the highest risk for so many of the kinds of public health issues that we care
about. For many of them these shows are their number one source of information. So the fact that there are people who take the time to get it right in
order to educate their audience is what we’re honoring tonight. Again, for
these two categories, please join me in applauding them.
[Applause.]
There’s a category that we’re going to describe but not show clips from
because, given the vicissitudes of work life, we were unable to have their
representatives here this evening. But I’ll tell you who they are and on their
behalf accept your congratulations.
They’re from the primetime comedy category. You might think it would be
difficult to include accurate health messages in comedy, but it turns out you
can do it. The two finalists in this category were Ugly Betty – for a storyline
called “HMO Insurance,” about access to insurance – and Scrubs, for an episode called “My Friend With Money.”
Ugly Betty came in second place, and the first place award goes to Scrubs, for
“My Friend With Money.” In their absence and as we fast-forward through
the clips, please join me in congratulating them!
[Applause.]
14
And thank you for being right there with me.
We’re going to turn now to the category of primetime drama, minor storyline. We
have primetime drama major storyline and minor storyline.
The worker’s story
demonstrates an
important message: if
left unchecked adult
onset diabetes can
have devastating
ramifications.
KAPLAN
We have three finalists in this category. The first finalist in primetime drama minor
storyline is from Grey’s Anatomy, and the storyline is called “Oh, The Guilt.” A patient with breast cancer is having second thoughts about her upcoming mastectomy.
She’s also struggling with her guilt as she secretly blames her breastfeeding son for
somehow causing her to mistake a lump in her breast for a clogged milk duct. After
initially refusing to address her conflicting emotions, she opts to forgive herself, fight
the disease, and have the surgery. As is the dilemma with many breast care patients,
treatment decision options are emotionally charged for the whole family. Let’s watch
the clip.
[Clip plays.]
The second finalist in this category is from ER, and the episode is titled “Paired
Organ Exchange.” Chicago’s County General introduces a Paired Exchange Program
for organ transplants. We see the amazing reality of this program as two patients in renal failure bring in donors and use the innovative plan to receive new kidneys faster
than expected. More than 73,000 people in this country are waiting for a kidney
transplant at any given time. Let’s see the clip.
[Clip plays.]
Martin Kaplan
And the third storyline is from Grey’s Anatomy. It’s called “My Favorite Mistake.”
The storyline begins as a diabetic construction worker is admitted into Seattle Grace
Hospital complaining of a sore foot. His infection is so severe that the doctors advise
amputation. Fearing the loss of a limb, as well as his livelihood, the man begs Cristina not to amputate, promising to adhere closely to whatever treatment regimen
is prescribed. But after hours of studying medical books and consulting with peers,
Cristina concludes there’s no alternative. The worker’s story demonstrates an important message: if left unchecked adult onset diabetes can have devastating ramifications.
[Clip plays.]
At this time I’d like to recognize the third place winner, “My Favorite Mistake” from
Grey’s Anatomy. Chris Van Dusen, writer of Grey’s Anatomy, will accept the award.
[Applause.]
Congratulations.
15
Chris Van Dusen: I really wanted to beat Zoanne, but… Thank you all, very
much, for this award. I’m accepting it on behalf, of course, of Shonda Rhimes,
our creator. This award means a lot to me because my entire family has
been affected at one point or another by diabetes, so I definitely respect the
need to get as much correct information as possible out there about this very
insidious disease. Thank you.
Also, thank you to the CDC and the NCI, Hollywood Health & Society, and
the Norman Lear Center for recognizing all of us here tonight as we try to
do what was once unheard of, and that is making television good for you. So
thank you very much.
This award means a lot
to me because my entire
family has been affected
at one point or another
by diabetes.
VAN DUSEN
It’s been so helpful in
the years I’ve been on
the show to be able to
say, “Oh, I read this
thing about paired
organ exchange,” and
then call up Hollywood,
Health & Society, and
within 24 hours I had
two of the leading
experts and pioneers
in this program on the
phone.
ZWERLING
[Applause.]
Marty Kaplan: And I’m delighted to present the second place award to ER
for “Paired Organ Exchange.” Lisa Zwerling, writer and supervising producer, will accept.
[Applause.]
Lisa Zwerling: Thank you on behalf of the whole writing staff of ER and Janine Sherman, whose episode we saw tonight. I just want to say that one of the
coolest things we all get to do as writers is learn about cool stuff in the world
and incorporate it into our shows, and you guys really help us do that.
Specifically, on our show, when it comes to reading about and learning about
innovations in medicine, it’s been so helpful in the years I’ve been on the
show to be able to say, “Oh, I read this thing about paired organ exchange,”
and then call up Hollywood, Health & Society, and within 24 hours I had two
of the leading experts and pioneers in this program on the phone, helping me
come up with the details to make this real. So thank you for that, and I thank
everyone for this.
16
Martin Kaplan & Zoanne Clack
[Applause.]
Marty Kaplan: And first place in this category goes to Grey’s Anatomy, again, for “Oh,
The Guilt.” Zoanne Clack, writer and co-producer will accept the award.
[Applause.]
How a person chooses
to deal with the diagnosis of cancer is a very
personal journey, but
we hope that we have
been able to emphasize
that people are not alone
in their circumstance,
that they are allowed
to cry about it, they can
get mad at it, even feel
guilty about it as long as
they don’t get defeated
by it.
CLACK
Zoanne Clack: I think this is our first First Place, isn’t it? Yeah! I’m mad now because
Chris got me all hyped to write a speech, and I could have just done it off the cuff,
like he did, whatever. I’ve written it, now you have to hear it. I almost crashed writing it in traffic!
You expect your 20s and 30s to be a time for advancing your career, nurturing a family, bringing life into the world; not a time when friends are dying. I’d like to dedicate
this episode to the two women who inspired the story, both of whom discovered they
had breast cancer right after having their first babies. One died within six months after the birth, and the other has gone on to adopt a second child and continues to fight
against her cancer to this day.
How a person chooses to deal with the diagnosis of cancer is a very personal journey,
but we hope that we have been able to emphasize that people are not alone in their
circumstance, that they are allowed to cry about it, they can get mad at it, even feel
guilty about it as long as they don’t get defeated by it, because it can be defeated.
It’s a pleasure to highlight this important issue and an honor to be recognized here
tonight. We thank the CDC, Hollywood, Health & Society, all of our writers, Elizabeth and Moira and Chris, and everybody else at Grey’s Anatomy. Thank you.
17
[Applause.]
Vicki Beck: I must offer a special thanks to Zoanne because she went back to
Atlanta in April to do some meetings with the CDC and was just wonderful
in sharing the role she handles on the show with a large conference at Emory
and then meeting with several experts at CDC. It was a pleasure to work
with you on that.
We observe the striking
impact of the news
of Addie’s attempted
suicide on her parents.
As is often the case,
depression can go
undetected by one’s
family and close friends.
BECK
Our last category this evening is primetime drama. We have seven excellent finalists. The first is a House storyline, “Resignation.” When a somber
19-year-old, Addie, coughs up blood and the ER can’t figure out why, the case
comes to Dr. House, of course. His team runs a gamut of tests and finds nothing wrong, yet Addie’s condition is deteriorating rapidly as her organs fail.
House finally realizes what is wrong with his patient, why she’s been so stoic
in the face of death: she is severely depressed and covertly tried to kill herself. Addie’s clinical depression cleverly mirrors House and Wilson’s depression in the episode’s second tier of this storyline.
After surgery, Addie has a chance to build a better life by seeing a therapist,
considering meds and finding a way to deal with her depression. We observe
the striking impact of the news of Addie’s attempted suicide on her parents.
As is often the case, depression can go undetected by one’s family and close
friends. Let’s watch.
[Clip plays.]
The second finalist in this category is “I Think We Should Have Sex” from
Friday Night Lights. Coach’s 15-year-old daughter, Julie, drops a big surprise
on her unsuspecting boyfriend and star quarterback, Matt, when she announces she’s ready to have sex for the first time. While Matt plans their
unforgettable night, Julie’s mother, Tammy, stumbles upon Matt at the supermarket buying condoms. Tammy confronts Julie about Matt, but Julie says
she doesn’t understand what the big deal is. After all, “it’s just two body parts
18
coming together.”
Let’s listen in on scenes from this emotionally charged episode that highlight the
importance of parents and children talking about sexual health early on.
Upon further investigation, they learn that
the company has been
burying excess toxic
waste under schoolyards
in poverty stricken
areas, sickening scores
of children. Based on a
true story, the episode
addresses eco-crime,
fraud in poor ethnic
neighborhoods, and the
grim realities of health
disparities.
BECK
[Clip plays.]
Our third finalist is another storyline that deals with depression, this time in an
older character. It’s titled “Uncle” from Law & Order: SVU. In “Uncle” a mother
and daughter are brutally raped and murdered, and the first suspect is a disoriented
homeless man with mental problems who turns out to be Detective Munch’s severely depressed Uncle Andrew.
After psychological testing it’s clear Andrew didn’t commit the crime, and once on
antidepressants he’s a new man and offers any help he can with the case. Serious
complications arise, however, and Andrew ends up being charged with murdering the
key suspect.
This episode compassionately explores difficult issues surrounding depression and
mental health, including the positive and negative affects of antidepressants.
[Clip plays.]
And in case you didn’t recognize Uncle Andrew, that’s Jerry Lewis.
The fourth storyline is “Waste Not” from Numb3rs. A sinkhole breaks open in a
schoolyard of a poor LA neighborhood, engulfing several young students and killing a teacher. The FBI Team suspects a construction company has cut corners. With
Charlie’s scientific help they realize the schoolyard is paved with an aggregate made
from recycled toxic waste. Upon further investigation, they learn that the company
has been burying excess toxic waste under schoolyards in poverty stricken areas,
sickening scores of children. Based on a true story, the episode addresses eco-crime,
fraud in poor ethnic neighborhoods, and the grim realities of health disparities. Let’s
watch.
[Clip plays.]
The next finalist in the primetime drama category is “Northern Exposure” from
Brothers and Sisters. Tommy and his wife, Julia, are unable to conceive because
Tommy is sterile, and the couple begins considering alternatives.
They start by visiting a fertility clinic and discuss using donor sperm. But Tommy
rejects the idea because he wants the baby to be at least related to his father’s family.
Eventually, his two brothers donate their sperm for artificial insemination with the
19
idea that no one will know whose sperm will actually become fertilized.
Every year thousands of American couples must come to terms with the
devastating news that they are infertile. Surprisingly, between 30 and 40% of
infertility is related to a male factor, such as impotence or low sperm count.
Let’s watch.
[Clip plays.]
The sixth finalist in this category is “Over Here,” a storyline from Law &
Order. When NYPD detectives chase a young man accused of beating two
homeless men to death they find out he’s a recent Iraqi veteran. Following
the man’s arrest, McCoy visits the VA Hospital, where he stayed for eight
months before being discharged from the Army. He learns that the man suffered a brain injury in Iraq, which led to epilepsy and seizures that trigger his
violent behavior.
VICKI BECK
McCoy also discovers that the suspect was living in appalling conditions in a
wing of the VA Hospital that should have been condemned. Let’s watch this
timely exploration of a delicate issue surrounding quality medical care for
veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.
[Clip plays.]
Our last primetime drama finalist is “Stella’s HIV Story,” from CSI: New York.
Detective Stella Bonasera arrives at the scene of a violent murder that is carpeted with broken glass and blood, and is accidentally cut by a piece of glass.
She quickly cleans the wound but is later rattled to learn that the victim had
AIDS.
Realizing she’s been exposed, Stella takes an HIV test and begins antiviral
medication. Stella is tormented and emotionally isolated by the uncertainty
of her HIV status, a common response to such distressing circumstances.
Let’s watch.
[Clip plays.]
All I can say is what an amazing lineup of storylines in this category.
[Applause.]
20
I’m very pleased to announce that there are four finalists in the primetime drama
category. Please come up when I announce your storyline. I’m going to announce all
four at once.
“Northern Exposure” for Brothers and Sisters. Molly Newman, co-executive producer,
and David Marshall Grant, producer, will accept the award.
[Applause.]
After spending the first
part of my career in the
theatre where you’re
lucky to have 5,000
people come to see anything that you do, I’m
still sort of in awe and
honored to be working
in television where
we have such an
amazing impact on
so many people.
Hébert
“Resignation” from House. Pamela Davis, writer, will accept the award.
“Uncle” from Law & Order: SVU. Dawn DeNoon, writer and co-executive producer,
will accept.
[Applause.]
And “Waste Not” from Numb3rs. Julie Hébert, writer and co-executive producer, will
accept the award.
[Applause.]
Julie Hébert: Well, I’m very moved that this story got on the air, and to get this
particular award. The story is based on something that happened in my hometown,
in South Louisiana. My sister is an attorney for the Department of Justice, and she
worked on it, and I got a lot of details on the story from her and her colleagues.
And then I called Vicki and talked to her about cancer clusters and what that meant
and how often people were confused about it. And she, just like Lisa said, put me
very quickly in touch with some amazing people from the CDC who knew of other
situations exactly like this and also knew of this story, because this story happened, I
guess, about 12 or 15 years ago, something like that.
So anyway, the only thing – I don’t want to take any more time – but the thing that
I do want to say is, after spending the first part of my career in the theatre where
you’re lucky to have 5,000 people come to see anything that you do, I’m still sort
of in awe and honored to be working in television where we have such an amazing
impact on so many people. I’m very proud to be part of this community that takes its
social responsibility so seriously. Thanks.
[Applause.]
21
BILL HAYNES, CSI NY
Dawn DeNoon: Hi. I’ll make this quick. I just want to tell you how grateful I am to you for recognizing this particular episode, not only because the
subject matter, age related dementia is the one thing I fear on earth more
than public speaking, but because the guest star, Jerry Lewis, is my lifelong
idol and one of the world’s greatest humanitarians, who just passed the $800
million mark for raising money for muscular dystrophy. So thank you on behalf of Jerry for his heart wrenching portrayal, and I thank you very much for
honoring that.
[Applause.]
I was a crime scene
investigator with the
LA County Sheriff ’s
Department, and
suffered an exposure as
Stella, our character,
did. To see such a scary
moment in my life turn
into something as
wonderful as this is
truly awesome.
HAYNES
Pamela Davis: I wish I was eloquent, but I’m not, so I just want to thank
Vicki and everybody at Hollywood, Health & Society for doing what they
do. It’s a great service and they give us a lot of great information to tell these
stories with.
[Applause.]
Molly Newman: I’ll speak for 30 seconds. I feel a little sheepish being up
here with our sperm storyline, with all these lovely stories that we’ve heard
about personal experiences that people have had with cancer and diabetes.
When I first pitched this story, I did so mainly because I thought we could
tell a lot of sperm jokes – which we did – but thank you, anyway, and I’m really glad that it turned out this way.
David Marshall Grant: Telling Annie’s story about fertility, of course, opens
up a lot of questions about what it means to be a parent, so I just want to
accept it on behalf of all writers and also all the brave men and women, gay,
lesbian, and straight, who are trying to become parents. And on a personal
note, having been the son of two very disappointed physicians when I got
into drama school, to be recognized by the Centers for Disease Control, is going to go a long way to making them proud. Thank you.
[Applause.]
Vicki Beck: The third place award goes to CSI: New York for the storyline,
“Stella’s HIV Story.” Will Bill Haynes, technical advisor, please come up to
accept the award?
[Applause.]
Congratulations.
Bill Haynes: Well, prior to joining the staff of CSI: New York, I was a crime
scene investigator with the LA County Sheriff’s Department, and suffered
an exposure as Stella, our character, did. To see such a scary moment in my
life turn into something as wonderful as this is truly awesome. On behalf of
everyone at CSI: New York I thank you.
22
Iraq war vets come
home and are treated
like dirt. It’s unacceptable, it’s what motivated me to write this
story... I would like to
quote Dick Wolf, who
always says about the
best episodes of Law &
Order, “They’re good
if they make people
angry.” I hope this
episode made a lot of
people very angry.
FORDES
[Applause.]
Vicki Beck: Second place for primetime drama goes to the storyline “Over Here,”
from Law & Order. William Fordes, writer, will accept at this time.
[Applause.]
William Fordes: Iraq war vets come home and are treated like dirt. It’s unacceptable,
it’s what motivated me to write this story. I thank you very much for the award, but
I would like to quote Dick Wolf, who always says about the best episodes of Law &
Order, “They’re good if they make people angry.” I hope this episode made a lot of
people very angry. Thank you very much for the award.
[Applause.]
Vicki Beck: And the first place award for primetime drama for the 2007 Sentinel For
Health Awards goes to Friday Night Lights for “I Think We Should Have Sex.”
[Applause.]
I believe Charlie Andrews, Manager of Primetime Development is here from Universal Media Studios to accept.
Charlie Andrews: Hi, guys. Well, thank you so much. I’m accepting this award on
behalf of the writers and producers of Friday Night Lights. The series will begin its
second season in a few weeks, and the writers and producers are hard at work writing
all the episodes. It’s so good, we’re so excited! Thank you, thank you.
We received countless
messages from mothers
and daughters about the
topic and how real the
scenes felt. This episode
allowed them to start
dialogue with their own
daughters about sex and
relationships.
ANDREWS
They sent this along, this note for me to read to you guys tonight. “It is a great honor
to be recognized by Hollywood, Health & Society for the Sentinel Awards this year.
It is important for us as writers and producers to tell stories that are faced daily by
parents, children, grandparents, friends, and foes.
When the episode, “I Think We Should Have Sex,” aired on NBC, we along with
Connie Britten and Aimee Teegarden, who play Tami and Julie Taylor on the show,
received countless messages from mothers and daughters about the topic and how
real the scenes felt. This episode allowed them to start dialogue with their own
daughters about sex and relationships. Having the ability to impact fans in this way
means more than anything to the writers, producers, and actors on this show. And we
thank you for giving us this honor and recognizing this little script. Thank you.
[Applause.]
Vicki Beck: I’d like to say thanks to all the winners, and there was a writer who
walked in tonight and said, “I want to see who wrote that storyline,” because she was
so impressed with it. There she sits, right there, Lisa!
23
Panel Discussion
Marty Kaplan: We are now going to do an extremely quick change, which
you can see right in front of your eyes. I’m going to invite up the panelists – I
think you know who you are – to join us, and through the magic of tent cards,
you’ll even know where you’ll be sitting, but I’ll say it anyway so you can
find your way.
Here, starting from my left, William Fordes, Dawn DeNoon, Pamela Davis,
Bill Haynes, Julie Hébert, Lisa Zwerling, Molly Newman. And on this side,
Zoanne Clack, Kimberly McCullough, Nancy Lee Grahn – is it Grahn?
Nancy Lee Grahn: Yes.
Marty Kaplan: Good for me, good for me! And Veronica Pimstein. Great. Well
done, amazing turnaround. Appreciate it. So we’re all here.
Did any of you ever
find it a challenge to
be accurate?
KAPLAN
Over the course of the
last five, ten years,
with HIV testing, it’s
advanced so much that
you get results very
quickly now, and that
doesn’t allow any of the
drama to come through.
MCCULLOUGH
So, first, a question about the tension, if there is one, between entertaining
people and being accurate. Did any of you ever find it a challenge to be accurate? Was there something about what you would have to do to be accurate,
which compromised what you thought would be the dramatic or comedic
aspects, the storytelling that you were engaged in? Was there a moment you
said, “Jeez, I really want to do this, but I don’t know if I should because it’s
not quite the way it is?” Yes?
Nancy Lee Grahn: On our show, very rarely is there ever anything that happens to you that would happen on planet earth, so – you know, I say that lovingly. It’s what it is. So it was difficult. The lung cancer story was continually
difficult, but you do the best you can.
Marty Kaplan: Anyone else want to address that question?
Veronica Pimstein: With our couple, a married couple, it was very challenging
so that the audience wouldn’t just swap around different channels, but instead continue watching and find it amusing and entertaining without losing
the essence of the story. Así es la Vida has a lot of comedy in it, so how would
you get into the serious part of the story without preaching to anyone? That
was difficult.
Marty Kaplan: Others on the topic of the challenge of being accurate? Is it
fair to say that it sometimes is not easy to be accurate?
Kimberly McCullough: I guess with our storyline –
Marty Kaplan: Yes?
Kimberly McCullough: The biggest challenge was the timing with which
results could be available. Over the course of the last five, ten years, with
HIV testing, it’s advanced so much that you get results very quickly now, and
that doesn’t allow any of the drama to come through. That was our biggest
challenge.
24
Marty Kaplan: In many cases, these storylines did not just get delivered as edited
episodes to the networks, they went through executives, and we won’t tell if you say
anything here about what that process is like.
To what degree in any of these stories that you were involved in was it something
you or your colleagues had to figure out how to sell? Did you have to figure out how
can we get them to say this is a great idea for an episode?
David Marshall Grant: I would just like to comment that there was no challenge or
problem at all over at ABC or Touchstone. I think there should be an acknowledgement of how far studios and networks have come in this country in terms of telling
stories. There are no horror stories on our end about that. We are encouraged. I’ve
never seen a wall thrown in front of us yet, so I think they should get applause for
that. I’m not sucking up! I’m serious.
[Applause.]
WILLIAM FORDES,
LAW & ORDER SVU
Marty Kaplan: Bill, what was the timing in terms of the story that you did and the
breaking of the Walter Reed story in the news?
William Fordes: It was literally – I went from the concept to the completed script in
about 13 days.
Marty Kaplan: Whoa!
William Fordes: Because it was an emergency basis script, and it was the only story I
pitched. It was the only thing I wanted to do, because I was so moved by the difficulties that these returning vets were experiencing, and I immediately got the okay and
went and did it. And the network never interferes, at all. I mean maybe they’ll ask for
something more marketable, snarling dogs and that sort of thing, but we usually say
no. For Law & Order they will let us do almost anything. Legal will sometimes say,
“Well, we’re a little afraid of getting sued here, can you change this or change that?”
But I’ve been on the show on and off for 18 years, and I’ve never seen that happen –
except once. It was very early on in the show, and it was rejected by Dick Wolf, to his
credit. And NBC backed down, to their credit.
The show was about the assassination of an abortion doctor, and the network said,
“Well…” And the script was already written and prepped, ready to shoot, and they
wanted us to change it from an abortion doctor. Dick Wolf just said, “Well, okay, fellas, we’ll make him a dentist.” And they actually said, “Oh, okay.” And he said, “I’m
kidding – it’s going to stay an abortionist.”
Marty Kaplan: Anyone want to comment further on the struggle or lack of it with the
suits or on the topic of the origin of these storylines in personal experience?
25
Zoanne Clack: I did talk about my personal experience already, for the breast
cancer storyline, but we always start on a theme with our show. As far as the
origin of the diabetes story, there is no one person. Obviously diabetes is a
national problem and there’s all kinds of complications associated with it.
At ER, there’s been
a sort of unspoken
moratorium on teen
suicide stories, and
that’s been sort of an
issue for me, because
teen suicide exists.
And so it’s a very real
thing that feels false
for our show to avoid.
ZWERLING
But that all kind of started based on the theme of plans, best laid plans. We
thought, what would be a good way to bring home the idea of planning, and
what kind of disease process can just basically bring that home? And diabetes
just kind of rung out. We’d always wanted to do that story but obviously it’s
not as dramatically compelling as someone dying – it’s not dramatic surgically.
But it’s definitely very compelling as a personal story, dealing with the limb
loss and the idea that if you plan and plan and plan you can avoid a lot of
these things. So we very much start with a theme and work backwards and, of
course, include what it’s going to do for our characters.
Lisa Zwerling: I’m kind of jumping around, because I want to go back to the
suicide thing and the network thing. In our experience, too, at ER, there’s
been a sort of unspoken moratorium on teen suicide stories, and that’s been
sort of an issue for me, because teen suicide exists. It’s a very big killer of
teenagers, especially gay and lesbian teens. And so it’s a very real thing that
feels false for our show to avoid.
And to the network’s credit, right now we are currently shooting an episode
that features a teen suicide story. The suicide is ultimately averted, but
there’s an attempt, and there is a suicide chat room of teenagers and we’ve
had to negotiate back and forth with the actual wording of our chat on the
screen, because they did not want us to give instructions to teenagers, but
they were more open to it than I think we expected them to be. So the message there is to sort of forge ahead with the stories. I think the networks are
becoming more open to these things.
Marty Kaplan: I’m going to put a couple more questions on the table, unless
anyone wants to jump in on anything we’ve already been talking about?
This is a kind of craft question, a tactical question. You all have to do, either
as writers or performers, a lot of exposition. You have to explain a lot of complicated stuff, and you have to say sentences with really complicated words in
them, and you have to do it in the context of staying in character and not be
turning into an educational lesson or a sermon. How do you do it?
LISA ZWERLING, ER
26
Zoanne Clack: On our show, I’m the physician writer, so I tend to use my other writers as my sounding board, because we tend not to get as technical as ER, but there
are times where I just have to put my foot down and say a doctor would not say that
to another doctor! So every once in awhile we’ll have to put in those big words, but
for the most part we try to stay as lay as possible because we’re not delving that far
into the medicine. It’s all about the personal story for us.
But at some point we obviously have to go there and actually use the big words. It’s
hard for me to monitor because I speak both languages, but it’s like a separate language, so sometimes when I write something I go to the other writers and say, “Can
you understand this?” And they pick and choose the words – we sometimes compromise where it’s lay enough to understand but still sounds like what a doctor would
say.
Marty Kaplan: Anyone on this side?
ZoannE Clack, Grey’s Anatomy
Kimberly McCullough: One of the good things about telling a story on a daily basis is we can tell it in real-time. But also, because we have to do a show every day,
sometimes we have to reiterate, even though we’ve said it every day for the last, you
know, four or five months, in every scene of every show – yes!
For example, when my character, who is HIV positive, began sleeping with Patrick,
who’s negative, we were doing these sexy scenes where I had to say “spermicidal
jelly” every single day! And they would come over the loudspeaker and say, “Kimberly, could you be more sexy?” And I was like, “Okay, I can kind of make a condom
sexy, but spermicidal jelly? Give me a break.”
But as the actor you just try to sometimes simplify it, I guess, act like it’s what you
say every day. You know, it’s a part of your vocabulary. But it’s a challenge sometimes.
DAVID MARSHALL GRANT,
KIMBERLY MCCOULLOUGH &
Veronica Pimstein
Nancy Lee Grahn: Like I said, we leave our reality at the door and we drool at these
brilliant primetime -Kimberly McCullough: Yes.
Marty Kaplan: I guess there’s no “little hat” version for spermicidal jelly?
David Marshall Grant: As an erstwhile actor I’d like to return the compliment in
that being an actor in these kinds of shows, not only do you have to say “spermicidal
jelly” a lot, but you have to say these wildly difficult, very elaborately constructed
fancy sentences, filled with medical jargon, and it’s impossible.
And one of the last shows I did was an episode of Numb3rs, and the exposition was,
you know, brilliantly written. I just couldn’t – I just couldn’t do it. So, anyway, my hat
is off to you.
27
Marty Kaplan: So to speak!
[Audience laughs.]
Marty Kaplan: We are living in an interactive age in which communication
is not just one way from shows to audiences. It also moves from audiences
to shows through more and more mechanisms, and in many cases the networks are encouraging, more and more of those interactive mechanisms. So
I’m wondering what do you hear from viewers, either about these storylines or others you have worked on? You’re telling stuff which is important and accurate, what are you hearing back?
And one of the things
I love the most about
it is the accessibility
daytime offers, I call
them “discerning
viewers.” For the
fans, there is so much
interaction. We actually
go out and mingle
and talk, and make
ourselves very
available to them.
LEE GRAHN
Nancy Lee Grahn: I’ve been doing it for 20 years, and I’m really very grateful for my job and for what it does. And one of the things I love the most
about it is the accessibility daytime offers, I call them “discerning viewers.” For the fans, there is so much interaction. There was so much feedback I got from Helene, from portraying this story. And we actually go out
and mingle and talk, and make ourselves very available to them.
And I have really great stories that I won’t go into because it’ll take too
long, but people are very, very affected by what happens in daytime. It’s
like a family in their living room. There are lots of really great things that
have happened as a result of Kimberly doing this AIDS story for this many
years.
And the affect that it’s had on a lot of viewers, particularly women, between the ages of 30 and 60, who have lung cancer right now – it’s just
amazing. To be able to affect, as you’ve said before, the public and get
information out to them and have a conversation and a dialogue with them.
I think daytime dramas are really great for this.
Marty Kaplan: Any other reactions?
Zoanne Clack: Our researcher, Elizabeth Klaviter, has reminded me also
of an episode when there was a very rare disease called “FOP”, where we
contacted the world’s expert on it. There are only something like 600 cases
and he’s seen almost all of them.
But we had a very good response from that subset of people, who wrote us
back and gave us a lot of feedback about the story afterwards.
28
Also, I want to mention that Elizabeth actually writes a blog, a medical blog, every
week, where we’ll pick one or two stories and go into detail that we couldn’t go into
because of the exposition and that sort of thing on our show. We go into more detail
on our blogs, and we have a lot of fans that read our blogs. So we do have kind of a
back-and-forth dialogue with the fans in that way.
Lisa Zwerling: I’m kind of on the opposite side of the coin with feedback on a rare
disease. In one of the first episodes I ever wrote for ER, I had two doctors treating
a patient with primary pulmonary hypertension, which is very rare but really bad,
and in most cases ends up leading to death, but not always. So I had a doctor say to
another doctor in a flip way, away from the patient, “Oh, I just found out my patient
is going to be dead in five years.”
And I got hundreds of letters compiled by the Pulmonary Hypertension Association
from parents, mothers, grandparents, children, with this disease saying, “I’ve worked
so hard to give my family hope, and you just dashed that, and we were just watching
television.”
LISA ZWERLING, ER
The other writers on the show were just like, “Toughen up, girl, this is just how it is.”
But I felt horrible. So I wrote a letter to the President of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association apologizing for my insensitivity and thanking him for the feedback,
blah, blah, which got posted on their website.
And then I got angry letters from other rare disease websites about how we didn’t
respond to their letters. So in the end I’ve just toughened up! But that experience
early on in my tenure at the show really has affected when I write flip comments
from doctors, which I still do, and we all still do, because we want to make it real, and
this is how people talk. But we try to at least have someone else express the opposite
sentiment.
Lisa Zwerling: We did a big storyline last year with Forest Whitaker as a guest star on
a series of episodes where there was a legitimate question of malpractice on the part
of one of our main characters. There was a whole courtroom trial and a very unsatisfying verdict for all parties which was, I think, realistic. It wasn’t a clear-cut victory or
loss for either side. And Forest was nominated for an Emmy for it. So you’re right, it’s
a very big thing in patients’ lives, and we tried to do that last season.
Marty Kaplan: Any other questions or comments? I’m going to ask you all now collectively to thank yourselves and each other for the great work you do, and thanks for
coming out tonight.
[Applause.]
Thank you.

forHealth Awards - The Norman Lear Center

Transcription

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